March 2007 Community Report
February 28, 2007
February 2007 was African American History Month in the Torrance Unified School District
Superintendent’s Message
As a Superintendent of a busy district with over 25,000 students and approximately 3,500 teachers and staff members, I approach each day by reviewing my calendar and concentrating on the tasks at hand. Luckily, my schedule also includes great opportunities to enjoy the accomplishments and growth of the thousands of individuals that are part of this District’s community. Seeing the growth of our students and staff is at the top of the list, but seeing the commitment and endorsement of our business partners affirms that our focus also lies in building the blocks that will allow our students to flourish for the future. This could not have been more evident than on February 19th when students from Hull, Lynn, and Calle Mayor Middle Schools participated in Raytheon’s second-annual MathMovesU Day. The event took place at Raytheon’s Space and Airborne Facility in El Segundo, where students participated in a variety of projects that had them thinking “outside the box,” while encouraging math and science skills. The activities included a video game challenge with award winning gamer, Mark Skaggs, who designs video games using math. It was also a pleasure to see 150 eighth grade girls from Calle Mayor, Magruder, and Madrona Middle Schools spend a day at ExxonMobil working with women engineers and exploring careers in the areas of electrical, mechanical, structural, and chemical engineering. The students received a tour of the refinery and were exposed to several scientific experiments and types of problems engineers work to solve. Several City Council and District cabinet members were able to attend this great event.
I believe that it is these relationships with our community that allow our District to grow in opportunities and in benefits. With this thought in mind, I have accepted an invitation to join the ShareFest Community Development Advisory Board. As many of you may know, ShareFest is a nonprofit, ecumenical service that brings together churches, community based organizations, and businesses and has done countless numbers of quality projects at our schools. I look forward to some new prospects in these areas of service.
At last month’s Board of Education meeting, some well deserved Certificates of Recognition were given out for hard work in Athletics: Coach Israel Pose of the Torrance High School Cross-Country Track program was recently named Area Coach of the Year by the Daily Breeze. Coach Pose congratulated the entire track team for a tremendous year and described the achievements of cross-country runner, Kent Morikawa who is winner of the Pioneer League finals, CIF Division II finals, and placed 3rd at the Division II state finals, 7th at the Western Regional finals, and 36th in the National finals.Torrance High School Girls’ Golf Team Coach John Wurzer, was also named Area Coach of the Year by the Daily Breeze and joined in the successes with team members Jennel Alexander, Demi Runas, Jane Rah, Cindy Song, Jenny Shin, Emily Chong, and Rochelle Chan. In addition, the West High School Football Team became Bay League Champions and CIF Western Division Runner-up. Our congratulations to all!
Finally, the attached calendar shows March as another busy month and some great opportunities to enjoy some of the artistic expressions of our students in addition to attending a special Board of Education meeting that will review new information regarding the Hull Middle School relocation. Many of our school PTAs and PTSAs will also be presenting the Honorary Service Awards to the many deserving individuals who have given beyond the call providing for our students. On Saturday, March 31, the Torrance Education Foundation will be hosting its Annual Celebrate Education Dinner at the Torrance Marriott, which includes the drawing for a 2007 Toyota Prius donated by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. As many know, for 16 years TEF has been providing funding for valuable student programs, contributing in excess of $2 million. More information and tickets for the dinner are available at the TEF website at www.TorranceEducationFoundation.com. Please take note of the many events listed and also, refer to the website at www.TUSD.org for ongoing information.
As we all know, our successes are the result of the hard work of the many students, staff members and volunteers who work within our District on a daily basis with the highest of standards. It is each of these contributions, within possibilities and scope that help us to reach our mission. Thank you to all who embrace these values.
Auditor’s Report for Fiscal Year 2005-2006
We are happy to report that in the past three years, the District’s financial status has gone from a 0% reserve with a qualified rating, to a 3%-plus reserve and an unqualified rating, and appears to be on a trend towards continued financial stability. This accomplishment can only be attributed to the hard work of the long-time Board members, administration, staff, and employees who have sacrificed and made difficult decisions in order to bring the District to this point, maintaining their reserves in an appropriate way. The auditing firm confirmed that the accounting procedures are in place and the District is set up in such a way to ensure reliability in the accounting records and in internal control. Copies of the audit report are available in the Administrative Services office for viewing.
CURRICULUM
New/Revised Course Outlines
New high school course outlines for Biology AP, Chemistry AP, Music Theory AP, and Physics AP, and revised outlines for Environmental Science AP and Independent Reading AP were approved. Not all courses are offered at all campuses. Currently, District staff is reviewing all advanced placement courses under the guidance of the College Board, and a collaborative effort is being made to align all AP classes nationally for the 2007-2008 school year. In the past, the District used the College Board’s course outline, but that organization now wants courses to be developed at the local level using specific guidelines, and then submitted to the College Board for approval, allowing teachers to have more power in their educational decisions. The Independent Reading course is currently offered at West High School, and is offered at all high schools as a summer option. The level of rigor in the new AP courses is very impressive.
Members of the Mathematics Achievement Committee to Develop Elementary Mathematics Curriculum Maps and Materials
Ten elementary school teachers on the Mathematics Achievement Committee will be collaborating to develop elementary mathematics curriculum maps and materials. These are meant to address the alignment of the mathematics curriculum throughout all grades, outlining critical standards at each grade level and how they can be taught. The pacing guides assist teachers in determining how much time should be spent on each of the standards.
FACILITIES
Authorization has been given for approval of architectural services for Calcor building replacements, site preparation, and demolition at nine sites. The District has allocated funds for Calcor building replacements at Carr, Hickory, Riviera, Towers, and Walteria Elementary Schools, and Magruder, Lynn, Calle Mayor, and Richardson Middle Schools. Hull Middle School is not included in these plans because this site requires a more extensive project. There is a September, 2007 deadline by the state stating that no students be housed in these types of buildings, but thankfully, this removal will not require the displacement of students. Some of the replacement buildings will be placed on the same footprint, while others will be modified according to additional needed improvements.
Report from the District Facilities and Asset Review Committee
This committee, responsible for assessing assets and facility conditions at each of the sites, has broken up into two working committees, headed by co-chairs George Harpole and Tish Carney. Each committee has been assigned half of the District school sites to visit and prepare comprehensive reports on their physical condition, needs, and available assets. As of this date, 12 school sites have been visited. So far, the preliminary findings reflect a common theme, which is that our schools are over 50 years old and very little has been done during that time to upgrade the facilities. Common findings include drainage problems, black-top areas in disrepair, lack of parking for staff, poor lighting for nighttime events, leaking and crumbling covered walkways and arcades, and aging facilities that cause safety concerns for the students and staff. In the area of assets, there are many upgraded bathroom facilities, and large open spaces used for play fields at some sites.
A Brief History and Synopsis on the Needs to Relocate Hull Middle School
As of September 2007, Hull Middle School’s buildings will not be considered appropriate for occupancy by students or teachers in accordance with state safety codes. Although the aging appearance of the various campuses in the District is obvious, the closure of this site extends to its very structure. Many recall the passage of Measure R in 1998 and the $2.8 million funds that were set aside to be matched with state funds of $3.2 million. Unfortunately, these matched funds were not received until 2002 when the cost to reconstruct the campus had increased from $6 million to over $12 million due to increased cost of construction and additional due diligence requirements (American Disabilities Act, fire/life safety, Department of Toxic Substance Control). In 2006, the cost to construct the "new" Hull had risen to $20 million. A broad based committee, consisting of parents, community members, teachers and administrators met with the responsibility of reviewing an array of considerations and alternatives. Currently, the viable solution appears to be to transfer the Hull Middle School community to the Levy Curriculum (Adult School) Center. This movement is being considered as temporary until the district is able to pass a general obligation bond issue and have the funds necessary to reconstruct the campus. Several groups have participated on reviewing alternatives and criterias. Currently, the District will complete a Mitigated Negative Declaration under the California Environmental Quality Act, specifically in the area of traffic. A special Board of Education meeting is scheduled for March 26 at 7pm at the Little Theather at Torrance High School to review new information. If the project is approved, the Levy site will be made ready for the Hull community for September 2007 under the “Hull Middle School at Levy” name. In spite of these uncertain times, District staff wants to assure the community that the Hull students will engage in the same quality programs as the other middle schools in Torrance Unified School District. It is also important to clarify that the Hull Middle School relocation needs are not unique. In the near future, this situation will apply to the other aging facilities in the District. It is the hope that a new school bond passage will allow for TUSD to be able to gain the funds necessary to align the facilities with the expected level of education to be provided to Torrance students. For more information on facilities funding, one can visit the TUSD website at www.TUSD.org.
STAFF
Dr. Tim McLellan, principal at Richardson Middle School, has left TUSD to take a position as Director of Human Resources with the Magnolia School District in Orange County. Dr. Patricia Hughes, retired Assistant Superintendent, will serve as interim principal at Richardson Middle School until a permanent replacement is found.
Collective Bargaining Agreement was reached
A Collective Bargaining Agreement was reached between the Torrance Unified School District and SEIU Local 99 for the term July 1, 2006 through June 30, 2007. The updated salary schedules, retroactive to July 1, 2006 will be adopted and declared indefinite for the 2006-2007 year. The 2006-2007 budget will be revised accordingly to reflect the cost of the settlement. This is the last of the four employee groups to settle on an agreement. This agreement was satisfactory reached with the Board of Education who appreciated the support and patience of the Local 99 members especially during the lean years when they did not receive salary increases in spite of their value to the District.
Lighthouse Teacher Intern Program
Teacher interns from Japan, sponsored by the Lighthouse Career Planning Corporation in partnership with Japanese universities, will be observing selected classrooms at our elementary schools for 2 to 6 weeks, each under the direction of an individual classroom teacher, as observers and assistants.
School Choice/Open Enrollment
If you are a Torrance resident, and are interested in having your child attend a school other than his/her home school, you may apply for “open enrollment.” This offer is contingent on space available at the requested Torrance school. Applications are now available at every school site in the Torrance Unified School District. Completed applications must be personally delivered to the Torrance Unified School District’s Child Welfare and Attendance Office, located on the second floor at 2335 Plaza Del Amo on:
Monday-Friday, March 5-9 and March 12-16: 8am to 4 pm; Saturday, March 17: 9 am to noon.
